Indoor shooting range

Abstract

Indoor shooting range comprising an interior space for firing ammunition, said indoor shooting range comprising: —an air ventilation system arranged for providing said interior space with fresh air; —a detector unit arranged for detecting a concentration of metallic elements, in said interior space, originating from ammunition fired in said interior space of said indoor shooting range; —a control unit, communicatively coupled to said air ventilation system and said detector unit, for controlling said air ventilation system taking into account a detected concentration, by said detector unit, of metallic elements originating from said ammunition fired in said interior space for maintaining said concentration of said metallic particles in said interior space below a predetermined value.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) comprising an interior space ( 3 ) for firing ammunition, said indoor shooting range ( 1 ) comprising:
 an air ventilation system ( 5 ) arranged for providing said interior ( 3 ) space with a laminar flow of fresh air ( 7 ); 
 a detector unit ( 9 ) arranged for detecting a concentration of metallic elements, in air in said interior space ( 3 ), originating from ammunition fired in said interior space ( 3 ) of said indoor shooting range ( 1 ), wherein said detector unit is arranged for detecting the concentration of at least one of lead, copper, aluminium, antimony, zinc, tin, manganese, bismuth, iron and nickel elements; 
 a control unit ( 11 ), communicatively coupled to said air ventilation system ( 5 ) and said detector unit ( 9 ), for controlling said air ventilation system ( 5 ) taking into account a detected concentration, by said detector unit ( 9 ), of metallic elements originating from said ammunition fired in said interior space ( 3 ) for maintaining said concentration of said metallic elements in said interior space ( 3 ) below a predetermined value, wherein predetermined concentration values of metallic elements for the interior space ( 3 ) for firing ammunition are stored on the control unit; and 
 an air sampling system ( 21 ,  23 ,  25 ), communicatively coupled to said detector unit ( 9 ) and said control unit ( 11 ), arranged for sampling air at predetermined locations in said interior space ( 3 ). 
 
     
     
       2. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said controlling of said air ventilation system ( 5 ) comprises controlling a velocity of said fresh air ( 7 ) in said interior space ( 3 ). 
     
     
       3. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein said velocity of said fresh air ( 7 ) is in a range of 0.2 meters per second to 0.8 meters per second. 
     
     
       4. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 3 , wherein said velocity of said fresh air ( 7 ) is in a range of 0.3 meters per second to 0.55 meters per second. 
     
     
       5. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said indoor shooting range ( 1 ) comprises a filter unit ( 13 ) for filtering metallic elements from air ( 15 ) exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ). 
     
     
       6. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said indoor shooting range ( 1 ) comprises an indication unit ( 17 ), communicatively coupled to said control unit ( 11 ), arranged for indicating a measure of said detected concentration to a user in said interior space ( 3 ). 
     
     
       7. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , further including a filter unit ( 13 ) for filtering metallic elements from air ( 15 ) exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ); and wherein said indoor shooting range ( 1 ) comprises a pressure detector ( 19 ), communicatively coupled to said control unit ( 11 ), arranged for detecting a pressure drop across said filter unit ( 13 ), wherein said indication unit ( 17 ) is arranged for indicating a measure of said pressure drop to a user in said interior space ( 3 ). 
     
     
       8. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , further including a filter unit ( 13 ) for filtering metallic elements from air ( 15 ) exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ); and wherein a predetermined location of said predetermined locations is such that said air ( 15 ) exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ) is sampled before said air ( 15 ) is exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ) and enters said filter unit ( 13 ) and wherein said detector unit ( 9 ) is coupled for fluid flow with said air sampling system ( 21 ,  23 ,  25 ) for detecting said concentration of metallic elements in said air ( 15 ) sampled at said predetermined location. 
     
     
       9. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 1 , further including a filter unit ( 13 ) for filtering metallic elements from air ( 15 ) exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ); and wherein a further predetermined location of said predetermined locations is such that said air ( 15 ) exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ) is sampled after said air ( 15 ) is exhausted from said interior space ( 3 ) and passes said filter unit ( 13 ) and wherein said detector unit ( 9 ) is coupled for fluid flow with said air sampling system ( 21 ,  23 ,  25 ) for detecting said concentration of metallic elements in said air ( 15 ) sampled at said further predetermined location. 
     
     
       10. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said indoor shooting range ( 1 ) comprises a person detector system ( 27 ,  29 ,  31 ), communicatively coupled to said control unit ( 11 ), for detecting a location of a person in said interior space ( 3 ), wherein said air sampling system ( 21 ,  23 ,  25 ) is arranged for sampling air at another predetermined location of said predetermined locations in said interior space ( 3 ) corresponding with a detected location of a person, by said person detector system ( 27 ,  29 ,  31 ). 
     
     
       11. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein said control unit ( 11 ) is arranged for controlling of said air ventilation system ( 5 ) at a rate in the range of once per minute to once per 60 minutes. 
     
     
       12. Indoor shooting range ( 1 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein said control unit ( 11 ) is arranged for controlling of said air ventilation system ( 5 ) continuously. 
     
     
       13. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 1 , wherein the detector unit comprises an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope. 
     
     
       14. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 13 , wherein the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope is configured to analyze the air of the interior space sampled at predetermined locations in said interior space via multiple air intake nozzles of the air sampling system. 
     
     
       15. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 1 , wherein the air ventilation system includes a condition unit for conditioning the fresh air before providing fresh air at a first side into the interior space. 
     
     
       16. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 1 , further including a filter unit for filtering metallic elements from air exhausted from said interior space; a first air intake nozzle such that air exhausted from the interior space is sampled before passing through the filter unit; and a second air intake nozzle such that air is sampled after passing through the filter unit. 
     
     
       17. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 16 , wherein the detector unit determines a difference in concentration of metallic elements received by the first air intake nozzle and the second air intake nozzle to provide a measure of the operational condition of the filter unit. 
     
     
       18. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 17 , further comprising a person detector system with a plurality of detectors arranged for detection of a person in the interior space. 
     
     
       19. Indoor shooting range according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit controls the air sampling system to sample air at a location corresponding with a location of a person in the interior space detected by the person detector system.